Suspected Fulani bandits on Tuesday morning killed about 10 people, including a pregnant woman, and abducted seven others in Matogu village, Patigi Local Council of Kwara State.
The Guardian learnt that the gunmen stormed the village around 6:00 a.m. and operated for four hours without resistance. Witnesses said the attackers, on their way to Macha village, opened fire indiscriminately upon arrival at Matogu, during which a pregnant woman was struck by a stray bullet and died instantly.
A female villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “It was around 6:00 a.m. when these young Fulani bandits came, they killed many and went away with seven people including the young and old. Could you believe that the assailants operated for four hours without being checked or confronted?”
The Nupe Descendants Union (NDU) has since raised a Save Our Souls (SOS) appeal to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, urging swift rescue of the abductees.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin, NDU chairman, Shuaibu Shaba Mohammed, asked the governor to visit the affected community in solidarity, describing the attack as one too many.
He said: “As we speak our people live a life of uncertainty, they cannot sleep with their eyes closed. The shocks are traumatic, valuable lives and properties are wasted, our farmlands are no longer accessible, and commercial activities in many parts of our communities are paralysed.”
Mohammed lamented that the International Gbugbu market, once a vibrant economic hub, has been shut down due to recurring banditry and kidnappings. He called for more decisive and sustainable action to tackle insecurity, noting that although the state government had deployed security personnel alongside local vigilantes, more reinforcement was required.
The NDU appealed for additional logistics and operational support for the military, police, and local hunters, stressing the need for continuous intelligence gathering and surveillance. It also urged the government to provide relief and rehabilitation support for victims.
